Martin Septim is one of the main characters of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. He plays such a prominent role in the game’s primary story that many players believe him to be the main protagonist, not the Hero of Kvatch.
This is certainly believable, given how much he does for Tamriel in such a short time, but not much is known about what he did before the events of Oblivion. Delving into his dialogue lines reveals some interesting possibilities, however.
From Daedra Worshipper to Priest of Arkay
Martin was the illegitimate child of former Emperor Uriel Septim VII — one of the most important rulers in The Elder Scrolls — and an unnamed mother. While he was an infant, Grandmaster Jauffre of the Blades took him away from the Imperial Palace. It’s unknown where Jauffre brought the young Martin, but the child was raised by a farmer and never knew of his true lineage.
When Martin grew up, he joined the Mages Guild. However, the group had strict rules on what type of magic students could and could not practice. Martin soon grew tired of the restrictions, so he and a handful of apprentices either left the guild or practiced in secret. They yearned for forbidden knowledge, eventually landing on studies of daedric magic.
It’s believed that Martin ended up joining the cult of the daedric prince Sanguine because of a specific dialogue line. In the quest, “Blood of the Daedra,” Martin requests that the Hero of Kvatch bring him a daedric artifact that he could use to open a portal to Mankar Camoran’s Paradise. Any daedric artifact in The Elder Scrolls world would do. If the player gives him the Sanguine Rose, Martin will comment that he thought he’d never see the staff again, further stating that he had owned it a long time ago.
Assuming this is the case, then Martin’s time as a follower of Sanguine in The Elder Scrolls was what likely led to the death of his friends. Martin admits in later dialogue lines that he and the other magic students took their study of daedric magic too far. This led to the deaths of his companions and many others. It was also what pushed him to abandon his study of daedric magic. Martin became a priest of the god Arkay and served in the city of Kvatch. By this time, he still had no idea that he was the emperor’s illegitimate son.
The Events of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
When the player walks up to Martin in the middle of the siege on Kvatch, he’s understandably confused when they tell him he’s the son of Emperor Uriel Septim. However, once the Oblivion gate’s been closed, the priest agrees to accompany the player in their quest to defeat the Mythic Dawn and the Elder Scrolls daedric prince Mehrunes Dagon. Thus begins the long process of finding out what the daedric cult intends to do and how the Blades can stop them.
Around the end of the quest, Martin and the Blades learn that the Mythic Dawn of The Elder Scrolls wants to take over Tamriel and render it a part of Mehrunes Dagon’s plane of Oblivion. To stop this, they need to infiltrate the leader Mankar Camoran’s Paradise to steal back the Amulet of Kings. This will allow Martin to relight the Dragonfires in the Imperial City, preventing the daedra from entering the Mundus. Unfortunately, they are unable to do this on time and the Mythic Dawn helps Mehrunes Dagon himself cross over to the mortal plane.
This is where Martin’s brief life on Tamriel ends. He asks that the player escort him to where the Dragonfires are and, once there, he shatters the Amulet of Kings. This calls on the Dragon God Akatosh, who merges with Martin and defeats Mehrunes Dagon, sending him back to his realm of Oblivion. It’s a bittersweet end, considering that Martin and the player build a friendship throughout the main questline, but none can doubt that Martin’s actions saved all of Tamriel.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
